Easter Crafts for Seniors

By Anna Hazard

Here are a smattering of crafts suitable for seniors that will help get the entire household in the bunny-hopping, chick-frolicking, egg-finding mood for the upcoming Easter holiday. Most guides can be tweaked and adjusted to better fit your elderly loved one's artistic flair and physical capabilities with basic materials and supplies that can be subbed in for whatever may be easily found at hand.

Lollipop Bunnies

• This particular craft can pull double duty as a decoration, treat, or gift and is easy-to-make and-- depending upon the exact version being created-- uses craft supplies that can be found around the house such as pipe cleaners, ribbons, and foam.
  
• Smart School House | Glued to My Crafts | One Little Project | Free Fun Easter

Paper Mache Easter Eggs

• These paper mache eggs in various sizes and styles use common household supplies such as glue, scissors, various forms of paper (tissue, newspaper, computer paper) as their bases. Depending upon your available materials and your elderly loved ones artistic flair and hand dexterity, slightly more complicated designs such as baskets and boxes can also be crafted from the basic egg designs.
• Not Martha | First Palette | Martha Stewart | Tesco Living | Vintage Image Craft | Tuteate | That Artist Woman | Block Party Press | Southern Cricut Lady
  

Easter Egg Terrarium

• If you're looking for a craft and subsequent decoration a bit different from the common colorful & pastel eggs & critters, try these tutorials for easter egg terrariums using both plastic and real egg shells. For a more long term project, try a version of a terrarium with live plants.
• The House That Lars Built | Hoopla Palooza | Eat Dreamlove
  

Easter Finger Puppets

• A decorative craft meant to be held closer at hand (quite literally) this makes a good activity for both grandparents and grandkids together. There are two distinct styles of finger puppets available, a more basic style that uses common crafts supplies such as pipecleaners, pompom balls, and googley eyes and a slightly more advanced version that requires cutting out felt and sewing (or fabric gluing for those with not-quite-so-nimble fingers)
• Woo! Jr | Happy Hooligans | Homan at Home | Instructables | Inside Toronto
  

Easter Sock Bunnies

• These adorable fabric bunnies are easy-to-make using a normal (clean & colorful) sock as its base with suitable filling (rice, pellets, fiberfill, cotton stuffing) and embellishments to taste (such as ribbons, pompoms, and felt). Include some fragrant herbs or essential oils such as lavender, mint, or chamomile within to add in a bit of aromatherapy as well.
  
• Huffington Post | A Pumpkin & Princess | Busy Mom | We Are Scout
  

Easter Critter Candy Jars

• For these crafty decorations which can double as vases, treat holders, or votives you'll simply need an empty jar of your choice, whether it be mason, baby food, or whatever else may be at hand. Different styles of decoration require different supplies ranging from felt, fabric, foam, ribbons, markers or paint, glitter,
• Crazy Little Projects | Tiny Prints | Little Miss Celebration | Serendipity Refined | Shaken Together Life | Make Life Lovely | Teach Me Mommy | Centsible Life
  

Paint Chip Easter Garland

• These colorful and easy-to-make garlands use paint chip cards (usually available for free at hardware stores and places that sell house paint) as their bases. Other materials include scissors, string, and an egg, bunny rabbit, or carrot stencil template if you're aiming for a uniform design. As this particular craft requires the use of scissors, some basic hand dexterity will be required.
• Modern Parents | Instructables | Confessions of a Blonde Woman | Moonfrye | Jenni Can Knit
  

Felt Easter Chick

• These adorable chicks are available in a variety of styles and patterns, depending upon the particular tutorial chosen with the additional use of pipe cleaners or wiring adding to the poseability of the completed design. Note that the felt may need to be cut out beforehand and fabric glue substituted for hand sewing for those with hand dexterity issues.
  
• Myrtle and Unice | Aunt Annie | Down Grapevine Lane | Kidspot
  

Bunny Candy Holder

• These handy bunny shapes holders can be made from upcycled materials such as face towels, old clothes, recycled paper, egg cartons, and toilet paper rolls or with normal craft supplies such as felt and available fabric. Fabric glue may be subbed in for hand or machine sewing for the cloth based designs.
  
• Positively Splendid | Craft & Activities for the Elderly | Crafting a Green World | Handmade Charlotte | All Free Paper Crafts | Embroidery Library | Destination Decoration
  

Easter Suncatcher

• Decorate every window in reach or hand them from the ceiling when it comes to these fun & easy crafts. Most versions of the suncatchers use a variation of paper (tissue paper, contact paper, computer paper, cardboard, card stock etc) with a few using more exotic supplies such as colored yarn, confetti, and plastic pony beads and all will require the use of glue and scissors. Many simple suncatcher patterns are available for free with more complicated designs available for purchase.
  
• Everyday Dishes | Crafts by Amanda | Aunt Annie | Two Daloo | Thrifty Fun | Kids Craft Room | Classroom Creative | No Time for Flashcards